Season Stats

3/25/15: The Pac-12 has made great strides as a conference over the past few years. They are still not up to the SEC in terms of talent or competition from top to bottom, but they have some excellent programs. Oregon has risen to a national powerhouse over the past several years, but next season may be very different. The Ducks lost their Heisman Trophy winning QB Marcus Mariota to the NFL, while USC is finally past their NCAA sanctions. Granted, the season is still over five months away, but it looks right now like it will be a two team race to the Conference Title between the Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans.

3/18/15: Marcus Mariota's run at Oregon may be over, though he is still highly regarded on campus as being the best QB to ever play for the Ducks. The Ducks had their pro-day last week with at least one representative from every NFL team on hand to watch Mariota. By most accounts, he was good, but not great. However, Teddy Bridgewater had a terrible pro-day, but was probably the best rookie QB in the NFL last year, confirming once again that game tape is more important than a throwing clinic. In other news, Mariota is a finalist for the Sullivan Award, which is one of the most prestigious awards in all of amateur sports.

3/4/15: The Oregon Ducks raised some eyebrows over the past few weeks (and no, it was not because of some atrocious uniform design). With Marcus Mariota leaving the college ranks for the NFL Draft, the Ducks need a new starting quarterback. They have some guys internally, but targeted Vernon Adams Jr. from FCS Eastern Washington. What is interesting is that they went after Adams instead of Ohio State's Braxton Miller. Miller has a long list of accomplishments and would be a good fit in Oregon, especially since he may not be the Buckeyes' starter next season. Adams will be intriguing, though. Perhaps he is the next Mariota.

2/25/15: Media and die-hard fans get really excited about the recruiting process and National Signing Day. Many usually miss the point that most recruits will not see game action for at least another 18 months if ever. Take Ducks defensive back Issac Dixon. He was a three star recruit in 2011 and redshirted his freshman year. By the end of his senior year, he had only played in 16 games, with only two games last season. So he is transferring out of the program. He is on track to graduate this spring, so he will not have to sit out a season wherever he winds up.

2/18/15: It looks like the administration at the University of Oregon is pleased with head coach Mark Helfrich as they are giving him a new contract that pays him $17.5 million over the next five years. The new contract basically doubles Helfrich's pay, and may also be a way to keep other programs away from him as coaching positions come around in the future. He has coached two seasons at Oregon and garnered a 24-4 record, a Rose Bowl playoff win and a trip to the National Championship Game. Most importantly, Helfrich is 7-2 against ranked teams, which speaks volumes about the quality of players at Oregon.

2/11/15: Oregon seems to be the exception to the rule that college football programs need to consistently have top ranked recruiting classes to compete for national championships. Once again, Oregon was not in the top 10 (finishing 17th, according to Rivals), but they should still be a strong contender in the Pac 12. All of the conference was put on notice by USC, who finished with the number one class in the nation. But the Ducks will be just fine, though it seems like they underachieved a bit considering they are coming off of a national championship game appearance and have some of the finest facilities in all of college football.

2/4/15: Taking stock of Oregon's recruiting at the end of January reveals something interesting. The team that finished second overall last season had the 16th ranked recruiting class (by Rivals). Not that 16th is bad by any means (Florida is 101st, just for reference), but Oregon is coming off of a National Championship Game appearance and just built some amazing facilities for their players. The Ducks were also lacking in five-star recruits, while USC had several. Oregon is not just going to fade to nothing, though. In fact, there are still rumors that Ohio State's Braxton Miller may transfer for a final season.

1/28/15: Marcus Mariota may not have been able to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes for the National Championship, but he did lead the Ducks best ever season and won the Heisman Trophy - so he is a legend in Eugene, Oregon. But there may have been a reason for the loss. Mariota admitted that he sprained his AC joint in his shoulder in the Championship Game. He has been resting his shoulder and skipped the Senior Bowl for it. There is also concern that he will not be ready to throw at the NFL combine, though many QBs skip that drill to throw at a Pro Day.

1/21/15: So it looks like it is time for Oregon to reboot. The Ducks were upset in the National Championship Game by Ohio State, 42-20, and now they are seeing some of their underclassmen head to the NFL. Tops among all is the loss of quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. Mariota leaves as probably the best QB in Oregon's history and his legacy in college football is secure. He, along with 2013 Hesiman Trophy winner Jameis Winston are the top QB prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft, and many expect them to be draft one and two.

1/14/15: Oregon become the first team to win a College Football Playoff game when they dominated Florida State in the Rose Bowl on January 1st. Then they became the first team to lose in the College Football Playoff Championship Game last Monday when they were upset 42-20 by Ohio State. The game stats looked pretty good for Oregon, and the game was closer than the score indicated. Oregon did a nice job of rallying in third quarter to get within one point at 21-20, but that is all they could muster as the Buckeyes added three more touchdowns to put the game away.

1/7/15: The Oregon Ducks are moving on the National Championship Game having won the first ever college football playoff game. They did not just win, they buried the storied Florida State Seminoles in the second half, en rout to a 59-20 blowout. The Ducks took advantage of Florida State not being able to hold on to the ball and registered five turnovers. On the offensive side of the ball, the Noles simply had no answer for the Ducks' speed and creative playcalling. Congratulations, Oregon. You've earned the right to play for the National Championship in Arlington (Dallas), Texas on January 12th.

12/3/14: Not only is Oregon cementing its place near the top of the College Football Playoff rankings, but they are making a case to be number one overall. In their final game of the regular season, at rival Oregon State in the Civil War, the Ducks showed they can play in all facets of the game with a 47-19 drubbing. QB Marcus Mariota was brilliant again with 367 passing yards and four touchdowns, plus two more rushing. Actually, Oregon may benefit from being second in the rankings so they could play closer to home in the Rose Bowl rather than in New Orleans. One more test left - the Pac 12 Championship game against Arizona this Saturday.

11/19/14: The Oregon Ducks had a late season bye week last weekend, giving them a chance to enjoy their rout of host Utah the week before. That win, in addition to their overall body of work, apparently was enough for the College Football Playoff Committee to move them up to second place in the rankings, ahead of unbeaten Florida State. Ducks QB Marcus Mariotta has been dazzling all season, and he is now the clear favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and even be the number one overall pick in the NFL draft next May. the 9-1 Ducks are back at home this Saturday to host the lowly Colorado Buffalos.

11/12/14: No 4 Oregon looked to have one of their tougher tests, facing No. 17 Utah on the road. It started out in Utah's favor, and they looked to go up 14-0 but the Utah receiver celebrated too early and dropped the ball on the one yard line. Oregon scooped it up and returned the ball 99 yards for the score while Utah was celebrating. That turned the tide of the game and Oregon cruised to a 51-27 rout. The Ducks are now 9-1 and have sewn up the Pac-12 North crown. They have a bye this weekend before hosting Colorado. Their biggest challenge will be in a few weeks for the Pac-12 Championship, likely against Arizona State who destroyed Notre Dame over the weekend.

11/5/14: Not this time, Stanford. It has been well-documented that the Cardinal has wrecked Oregon's season for the past two years and was the only team that QB Marcus Mariota had played and never beaten. Notice the past tense because Mariota and the Ducks put on an impressive show against Stanford, beating them 45-16. Mariota was 19/30 passing with 258 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 85 yards and two rushing scores, which may impress the Heisman voters. Oregon improved to 7-1 on the season and is very much in the playoff hunt. They travel to Utah this Saturday.

10/29/14: Oregon is quietly making its case to be invited to the college football playoffs this season. The latest notch on the belt was a 59-41 shootout win at Cal last Friday. The win improved Oregon to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Pac-12. This was a wild game from the start with 66 points combined being scored in the first half alone. The Ducks pulled away for good in the second half by only allowing 13 points and putting up 21. QB Marcus Mariota improved his Heisman resume by throwing for 326 yards and five touchdowns. He did throw his first interception of the year on a ball that was deflected twice. Huge game this weekend when the Ducks host Stanford, who has tripped them up the past two seasons.

10/22/14: Oregon hosted pesky Washington last Saturday and showed the Huskies just who is boss in the Pac-12 North. The Ducks took control in the second quarter with three unanswered touchdowns, then built upon that on the second half, cruising to a 45-20 victory. QB Marcus Mariota bolstered his Heisman campaign with 336 yards passing and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Running back Royce Freeman added 169 yards on the ground with four touchdowns. Oregon is now 6-1, 3-1 and moved up to No. 6. in the polls. The Ducks play this Friday in prime time at Cal.

10/8/14: The Oregon Ducks played in the late game last Thursday and were upset for the second consecutive year by Arizona. The undefeated but unranked Wildcats went into Eugene and kept the high-flying Ducks offense at bay for most of the game. Oregon could only manage seven points in the first half, but led 7-3 at halftime. Arizona scored three times in the third quarter and added another score in the final period to win 31-24. The loss may hurt the chances of the Ducks getting to the playoffs this season, but they can rebound with a win on Saturday at UCLA.

10/1/14: A few weeks ago, the national pundits were singing the praises of the Oregon Ducks after they rallied (and then demolished) Michigan State in a huge Big 10 vs. Pac-12 matchup. But the Ducks struggled on the road against a feisty Washington State team. They got the win, and remained ranked second, but did lose some ground to both Alabama and Oklahoma in polls. The Ducks had a bye last week, a nice reward for starting 4-0. Oregon gets back on the field this week in a nationally televised Thursday night conference showdown with the Arizona Wildcats.

9/24/14: Oregon entered their matchup at unranked Washington State last Saturday ranked second in the country. While few expected a complete blowout, most did expect Oregon's overwhelming talent to secure a sizeable victory. That was not the case at all. Wazzu played the Oregon Ducks tight and physical - keeping the score knotted at 21 at halftime. The Ducks pulled away a little in the third quarter and were able to hold on to a 38-31 win - and that was with the help of a late touchdown. But every team has a week where they struggle and the best teams find a way to win, like Oregon did. The Ducks have a bye week before hosting Arizona on Thursday, October 2.

9/17/14: Oregon got a big test a week ago when they hosted Michigan State. It was a great game, at least until the third quarter when the Ducks took complete control and showed that their great offense is better than the Spartans strong defense. Now that the Ducks have passed the first test of the season, it is time to get into the heart of the Pac-12 schedule. Oregon has Washington State this Saturday, which should be another win. As long as they keep this kind of pace, the Ducks could win the Pac 12 and get into the playoffs this season.

8/28/14: Oregon is in the top five of most polls heading into the 2014 season, and there is good reason. The team is stacked from head to toe with NFL talent at almost every position. The Associated Press has them ranked #3, just behind Alabama and Florida State. The also return QB Marcus Mariotta for another season, and he should once again compete for the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football. The Pac 12 looks to be one of the stronger conferences in the land this season, and winning the conference championship should the Ducks in the national playoff.

8/21/14: The Pac-12 may be just a notch below the SEC in terms of conference depth, but whoever emerges as the conference champion may have a clear path to the new playoff format. Oregon has been a perennial national power, but a legacy of late season losses has contributed to them not making the BCS Championship Game for most of the past half decade or so. But the Ducks have reloaded and are led by Heisman Trophy candidate Markus Mariotta. They face a tough schedule this season, including a matchup against reigning Big 10 and Rose Bowl champion Michigan State.

News

November 05, 2013

Matchups: Oregon Ducks VS Stanford Cardinals

2013 Oregon - Stanford Tickets Oregon Ducks & Stanford Cardinal Rivalry Oregon at Stanford Preview No. 3 Oregon Ducks at No. 5 Stanford Cardinals (11/7/13) Marcus Mariota has been overshadowed since his first game as the Oregon Ducks quarterback. Credit is either given to running backs like De'Anthony Thomas, his former head coach, Chip Kelly,…